Apple May Be Looking Into Medical Devices [Report]

Apple is one of the biggest companies in the world thanks to its mobile devices. The iPhone and iPad have proven to be big sellers quarter after quarter, but the gravy train can't last forever. Apple has to be constantly looking for the next big thing, and it may have found it.

The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that Apple applied for a patent that would allow users to unlock phones based upon the unique electrical signals from their heart. Apple may be looking into this method as a more reliable biometric identifier. After all, the fingerprint reader on the iPhone 5S was hacked within a day of release.

While the technology may first appear in smartphones, the report states that Apple has much grander ambitions for it. The company may be using this technology to measure "noise turbulence as it applies to blood flow" to predict heart attacks. The technology, reportedly being worked on by THX creator Tomlinson Holman, could very well come to consumer mobile devices allowing consumers to easily track their own blood flow and detect problems without having to see a doctor first.

While medical devices would be a pretty big departure from Apple's normal operations, cars would be an even bigger departure. Despite that, the report also states that Apple may be looking into acquiring Tesla Motors - the electric car manufacturer founded by Elon Musk. The acquisition would give Apple an outlet into a quickly growing segment of the automobile market and help the company better compete with Google's own Open Automative Alliance.

While all of this certainly sounds interesting, none of it has been even remotely confirmed by Apple. This is all based solely upon conjecture and meetings Apple has had with various persons and governmental organizations over the past few months. Even so, Apple will need to find something to bring in money as the mobile device market matures in developed markets. Cars and medical devices may be just the thing. Just don't expect to hear anything about it for at least a few more years.